Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Productivity

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment theyhave made of worker productivity in the UK; and what plans, if any, they have to increase productivity.

lord henley: According to the latest ONS estimates UK output per worker was 1.2% higher in 2018Q1 than it was a decade earlier. The UK has significant economic strengths on which we can build, but we need to do more to increase our productivity and to make the most of our untapped potential right across the country. The government’s Industrial Strategy sets out a long-term plan to boost the productivity and earning power of people throughout the UK.My rt. hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer recently launched a public call for evidence to support our Business Productivity Review, which will explore what actions could be most effective in improving firm level productivity. The review will look at the impact of management quality on productivity, and how we can most effectively spread best practice across the country to help boost earnings power.Our Grand Challenges look to put the UK at the forefront of the industries of the future, directing the focus of the government and engaging the private sector to ensure we take advantage of major global trends, which will improve people’s lives and the country’s productivity.As announced at Autumn Budget 2017 we are investing £300m in the development of ultra-low emission vehicles, are supporting driverless cars and AI, and have provided a further £2.3bn in R&D through extending the National Productivity Investment Fund.Through Sector Deals, Government will work with entire sectors to support them to grow and become more productive. We have already announced deals with sectors such as Automotive, AI and Life Sciences with more deals under negotiation.

Radioactive Materials

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what measures they are taking to safeguard the nuclear supply chain and ensure that the UK has access to the necessary nuclear materials after Brexit.

lord henley: The Government is committed to ensuring that effective arrangements are in place for nuclear co-operation with both Euratom and the rest of the world, including for the transport of materials. Our strategy is to seek a close association with Euratom and at the same time, to put in place all the necessary measures to ensure that the UK can operate as an independent and responsible nuclear state from day one.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Israel: Gaza

lord ahmed: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel about the civilian killings in Gaza following the recent protests over the move of the United States embassy to Jerusalem.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We are extremely concerned by the scale of the violence in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, in particular Gaza. Whilst Israel has the right to defend its borders, the use of live fire is deeply troubling, and has led to significant loss of life. The Foreign Secretary discussed the use of live ammunition against protestors in Gaza with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu on 16 May. The Minister for the Middle East and North Africa also raised this issue with his Israeli counterpart on 13 May and with the Israeli Ambassador to the UK on 17 May. As the Minister said in his statement of 14 May, we continue to implore Israel to show greater restraint in its use of live fire.

Israel: Bedouin

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they intend to take to protect the remaining Bedouin communities in the Jordan Valley from the threat of displacement.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​The UK is gravely concerned by Israeli proposals to evict Bedouin communities in the Jordan Valley. We have been clear about this with the Israeli authorities and we regularly raise the matter through our Embassy in Tel Aviv. I visited the Bedouin community in Abu Nuwar on 10 April, and subsequently raised concerns about their treatment in meetings with Israeli Ministers and senior officials on 11 April.

Department for International Development

South Sudan: Humanitarian Aid

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that humanitarian aid workers in South Sudan are protected.

lord bates: South Sudan is one of the most dangerous operating environments in the world for humanitarian workers, with at least 100 killed since the conflict began in 2013. Violence against those delivering lifesaving assistance is completely unacceptable, and the UK has consistently made clear to South Sudan’s leaders at the highest levels that this must stop.As a result of our implementing partners’ efforts and bravery, UK aid is reaching hundreds of thousands of people in South Sudan.Along with our partners, we regularly monitor the risks to our programmes, and proactively take actions to mitigate them where possible. This includes emphasising to partners that staff safety is paramount, and is always more important than protecting material assets.

Cameroon: Refugees

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs' estimate that 160,000 Anglophone Cameroonians have crossed the border with Nigeria seeking refuge since 2016.

lord bates: Our assessment, which draws on data from The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), is that 21,291 refugees from Cameroon have been registered in Nigeria since 2016 as a result of the Anglophone Cameroonian crisis. We are concerned about the situation in Cameroon and continue to monitor the situation carefully.

Department for Education

Grammar Schools: Capital Investment

lord bassam of brighton: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many additional places the grammar school expansion fund will create; and what percentage of those will be reserved for pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds.

lord agnew of oulton: The department announced an additional £50 million of capital funding supporting the expansion of selective schools for 2018/19. It will not be possible to provide an accurate forecast of the number of additional places to be provided in 2018/19 until the successful applications have been announced. Based on the average per-place cost of previous expansions funded via the Condition Improvement Fund, £50 million could fund up to 4,000 places.There is no set number of places reserved for pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds. Successful schools will, however, be required to prioritise the admission of children in receipt of the pupil premium, and looked after and previously looked after children.

Universities: Freedom of Expression

baroness deech: To ask Her Majesty's Government how they propose to include representatives of student victims of (1) inhibition of freedom of speech, and (2) disruption of meetings, in the preparation of new guidance to promote freedom of speech at universities.

viscount younger of leckie: At the free speech summit on 3 May 2018 held by my hon. Friend, the Minister for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation, it was agreed that the report from the Freedom of Speech in Universities inquiry by the Joint Committee on Human Rights (JCHR) would be used as the foundation for a shared approach to free speech. The JCHR inquiry included evidence from a number of groups including those who had experienced disruption of events and student representatives with a range of experiences related to free speech. The new guidance will be drafted by the Equality and Human Rights Commission, who will work with a number of groups including the National Union of Students.

International Schools: Teachers

lord lexden: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to allow British international schools to award qualified teacher status.

lord agnew of oulton: There is currently no plan to allow British international schools to recommend individuals for qualified teacher status (QTS).The regulations, which set out the various routes to QTS, require courses of initial teacher training (ITT) to be completed at an accredited institution in England. In addition, practical teaching experience for the purpose of ITT must be undertaken wholly or mainly in England.There may be circumstances where part of the training could take place outside England. For example, trainees specialising in modern foreign languages may benefit from time in schools abroad, but this must be in partnership with an accredited provider in England, which would make the recommendation for QTS.These requirements can be found in Part 1 of Schedule 2 to The Education (School Teachers' Qualifications) (England) Regulations 2003.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Mortimer Forest

lord hodgson of astley abbotts: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to require the Forestry Commission to prepare and publish an environmental impact assessment in respect of the planned development by Forest Holidays in Mortimer Forest, Herefordshire.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: Herefordshire Council has already screened the proposal as requiring an environmental statement as part of the process of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). Therefore, an environmental statement must be produced to accompany any planning application that follows. In these circumstances the Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2017 provide for the applicant to contest the opinion of the local authority by requesting a screening direction from the Secretary of State.No request has been made for a screening direction. However, I cannot comment as I must be careful not to prejudice the outcome should a request be received by the Secretary of State.

Affordable Housing: Rural Areas

lord judd: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the joint report from Shelter and the Campaign to Protect Rural England published in March Viable villages: closing the planning loophole that undercuts affordable housing in the countryside; and what is their response.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: The Government’s proposed new approach to viability seeks to address the issues raised by Shelter and the Campaign to Protect Rural England by reducing the use of viability assessments at the decision making stage, where affordable housing contributions can be negotiated away. The Government is carefully considering all responses to our draft National Planning Policy Framework, including those of the Campaign to Protect Rural England and Shelter. We aim to publish the new Framework in the Summer.

Affordable Housing: Rural Areas

lord judd: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the extent to which a new viability system introduced through the updated National Planning Policy Framework and National Planning Practice Guidance would lead to more affordable homes being built in rural England; and what is their estimate of the number of additional affordable homes that will be built.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: The Government’s proposed approach to viability in the updated National Planning Policy Framework and associated Guidance will seek to reduce the use of viability assessments, and resulting renegotiation, at the decision making stage. We do not have sufficient data to make an assessment of any increase in the number of affordable homes to be built as a result of the proposal.

Home Office

Motorcycles: Crime

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they intend to take to tackle moped crime.

baroness williams of trafford: Reports of crimes involving motorcycles, mopeds and scooters are clearly a concern. That is why the Government has worked with the police, industry and other partners to develop a comprehensive action plan focusing on what more can be done to prevent offending and keep the public safe.This work sits alongside the review the Government has conducted into the law, guidance and practice surrounding police pursuits and response driving. The outcome of the review was published on 22 May.

Gangs

lord ouseley: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to respond to the report from Amnesty InternationalTrapped in the matrix: secrecy, stigma, and bias in the Met's Gangs Database.

lord ouseley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what are the implications for race relations and race equality of the findings of racial profiling and misuse of personal data by Amnesty International in their reportTrapped in the matrix: secrecy, stigma, and bias in the Met's Gangs Database.

lord ouseley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what evidence exists to demonstrate that the Metropolitan Police Service's Gangs Matrix has been successful in tackling serious violent crimes such as knife and gun crimes.

baroness williams of trafford: The Government is aware of the Amnesty International’s report, Trapped in the Matrix, Secrecy, stigma and bias in the Met’s Gangs Database.The gang violence matrix is an operational tool used by the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) and the findings and recommendations are directed to the MPS. Any assessment of the effectiveness of the tool would be an operational matter for the police.This Government is committed to addressing the recent increases in gun crime, knife crime and homicide. We recently published our new Serious Violence Strategy. The strategy sets out the evidence on risk and protective factors for involvement in serious violence and the available evidence on effective interventions. The strategy puts a new emphasis on early intervention with young people at risk of becoming involved in crime and working together with communities to tackle the recent increases in serious violence.

Investigatory Powers (Codes of Practice) Regulations 2018

lord paddick: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the reply by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 1 February (HL Deb, col 1721), when they will write to members who took part in the debate on the Investigatory Powers (Code of Practice) Regulations 2018 about whether the regulations impose an additional aspect to the technical capability notice.

baroness williams of trafford: I apologise for the delay in writing to Noble Lords who took part in the debates on the investigatory powers regulations on 1 February. The delay in this letter being sent was the result of an administrative error. The letter was sent on 15 May and a copy has been placed in the House Library.

Out-of-school Education

lord storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people have been (1) reported to the police, and (2) convicted, under section 96 of the Education and Skills Act 2008 for conducting independent education institutions.

baroness williams of trafford: The Home Office does not hold the information requested. Police forces in England and Wales are not required to notify the Home Office of offences recorded under section 96 of the Education and Skills Act 2008.Prosecution information is the responsibility of the Ministry of Justice.

Terrorism

baroness suttie: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Duncan of Springbank on 9 May (HL7342), how many examinations under Schedule 7 to the Terrorism Act 2000 were used in each of the last five years in (1) airports, (2) seaports, and (3) borders; and how many (a) referrals to immigration, HMRC or other agencies, and (b) detentions for immigration, customs or other purposes, resulted from such examinations.

baroness williams of trafford: In each of the past five years the powers in Schedule 7 to the Terrorism Act 2000 were used in the UK on the following number of occasions:YearPersonsFreight Air/SeaTotalDetentions2017-2018Figures for 2017-2018 are not yet available2016-201718,10310,316 1,5302015-201626,1679,431 1,8212014-201531,769No Stats Available 1,3112013-201446,964No Stats Available 517We do not disclose a further breakdown of these figures (including by airport or seaport) for national security reasons. These powers have not been used by HMRC or Border Force in the past five years

Police: Firearms

lord hogan-howe: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many police firearms officers are employed in England and Wales at present; and how many were employed in each of the last five years.

lord hogan-howe: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many times police firearms officershave been deployed inEngland and Wales in each of the last five years.

lord hogan-howe: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many police weapons have been discharged in England and Wales in each of the last five years, excluding negligent discharges.

lord hogan-howe: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people in England and Wales were injured in police weapon discharges in each of the last five years.

lord hogan-howe: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people have died from police weapon discharges in England and Wales in each of the last five years.

baroness williams of trafford: The Home Office publication Police use of firearms statistics, England and Wales: April 2016 to March 2017 presents statistics on the number of i) armed officers, ii) police firearms operations and iii) incidents in which police firearms were discharged in the 43 Home Office police forces for the financial years ending March 2009 to March 2017. The data can be found in tables 1, 3 and 4 here:https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/632386/police-use-of-firearms-2017-tables.odsBelow is the relevant extract from the tables to answer part of your request: How many police firearms officers are employed in England and Wales at present; and how many were employed in each of the last five years (HL7888).Table 3: Number of armed officers on 31 March 2013 to 31 March 2017Police force/regionMarch 2013March 2014March 2015March 2016March 2017England and Wales6,0925,8645,6475,6396,278 How many times police firearms officers have been deployed in England and Wales in each of the last five years (HL7889).Table 1: Number of police firearms operations, years ending March 2013 to March 2017Police force/regionMarch 2013March 2014March 2015March 2016March 2017England and Wales15,47514,93914,68514,64915,705 The Home Office does not hold data centrally on:The number of police weapons that have been discharged (HL7890), although the department does hold data on the number of incidents in which police firearms were discharged (see table 4 of the above referenced statistical release).The number of people that were injured in police weapon discharges (HL7891).The number of people that have died from police weapon discharges (HL7892). The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) publication ‘Deaths during or following police contact Statistics for England and Wales 2016/17’ presents statistics on the number of fatal police shootings for the financial years ending March 2007 to March 2017. The data can be found in table A1 here:https://policeconduct.gov.uk/sites/default/files/Documents/statistics/Tables_deaths_report1617.ods

Police: Finance

lord hogan-howe: To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the budget to support the police transformation fund in England and Wales ineach of the last three years.

baroness williams of trafford: As outlined in a Written Statement on Police Funding (HLWS429) of 31 January 2018 the Police Transformation Fund will remain at £175m in the 2018/19 financial year. £29m of the fund is allocated to enable a national uplift in armed policing capability and capacity.The fund was £175m in 2017/18 (including £32m for the armed uplift) and £76m in 2016/17 (including £34m for the armed uplift).

Immigration

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answer byBaroness Williams of Trafford on 16 May on the assessment of immigration and asylum applications, what assessment they have made of the impact on the quality of the first substantive interview of (1) the impartiality of the interviewer, (2) whether the interviewer is the same gender as the applicant, (3) the quality of any interpretation required, and (4) the availability of advance legal assistance to applicants; and whether they intend to provide advice from independent specialised paralegals to all immigration and asylum applicants in complex cases.

baroness williams of trafford: All asylum claims lodged in the UK are carefully considered on their individual merits against a background of relevant case law and up to date country information. We ensure that claimants are given every opportunity to disclose information relevant to their claim before a decision is taken, even where that information may be sensitive or difficult to disclose.We are committed to delivering an asylum process that is gender sensitive and have developed an asylum gender action plan to achieve this building on the wider Government strategy to tackle violence against women and girls.Furthermore there is a robust quality assurance process in place involving technical specialists which ensures that all policies related to deciding asylum claims are complied with, and supports a robust decision making process.

NHS: Vacancies

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have madeof skill shortage problems in the NHS; and whether they have any plans to exempt NHS employers from the visa requirements for skilled non-EEA applicants.

baroness williams of trafford: The independent Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) advises the Government on changes to the Shortage Occupation List (SOL). The MAC has determined that a number of medical professionals, including all nurses, paramedics and various doctors, including posts in emergency medicine, clinical radiology and old age psychiatry, are in national shortage and they appear on the published SOL in Appendix K of the Immigration Rules.The SOL sits under Tier 2, our main immigration route for non-EEA workers. Applications for jobs on the SOL receive the highest priority – and the highest number of points – when allocating a Tier 2 (General) place. No requests for shortage occupation roles have been refused a place under the Tier 2 cap.The SOL is kept under regular review, with the most recent changes made to it last April.

Police: Firearms

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of proposals for police officers in rural areas to be routinely issued with firearms.

baroness williams of trafford: The policy in this country has long been that the police should not generally be armed. This gives character to our policing that we should not readily give up and is vital in promoting good relations with the public and the community they serve.Any proposal to change this longstanding position would have to be considered very carefully.It is for chief officers to determine the number of armed officers in their areas. This is based on a thorough assessment of threat and risk, and capability is kept under constant review by the National Armed Policing Lead and the National Police Coordination Centre.

Home Office: Staff

lord marlesford: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many employees of the Home Office are (1) not British citizens, or (2) British citizens by naturalisation.

baroness williams of trafford: The Home Office undertakes checks to confirm that potential candidates meet the eligibility requirements to work in the UK. However, the Home Office does not record the nationality of employees on our IT systems and is unable to provide this information.

Immigration: Appeals

lord roberts of llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what financial support is provided to people who have successfully appealed against immigration decisions.

baroness williams of trafford: The Home Office provides accommodation and support for Asylum seekers under section 95 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 if they do not have adequate accommodation or the means of obtaining it. This support continues during any Appeal against a refusal of an Asylum claim.When an immigration decision has been successfully appealed a Judge may order the Home Office to pay a ‘fee award’, up to the amount paid for the tribunal fee. Under the Procedure Rules the Tribunal also has the power to make awards of legal costs against either party where it is appropriate to do so.

Immigration: Appeals

lord roberts of llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to reduce the number of people needing to appeal immigration decisions.

baroness williams of trafford: UKVI are focused on improving quality of all decision making to ensure that we properly consider all the evidence provided and get decisions right the first time.That is why investment is being made via: a stronger assurance regime; better and more frequent training; and strengthening feedback loops. We are also working closely with HM Courts and Tribunal Service on Court Reform to improve the experience of those who exercise their statutory right of appeal.

Immigration

lord roberts of llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to increase the number of immigration decision takers.

baroness williams of trafford: UKVI regularly reviews its capacity plans and resources, redeploying and recruiting staff where necessary to help meet and maintain service standards for individual services. The Home Office has rolling recruitment campaigns to ensure the number of Decision Makers is maintained at a level that allows the Home Office to progress cases in line with service standards.

Refugees: Syria

lord scriven: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people in each UNHCR resettlement category have been settled in the UK as part of the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme.

baroness williams of trafford: The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) identifies refugees for resettlement using its established criteria. The seven resettlement submission categories are Legal and or Physical Protection Needs; Survivors of Torture and/or Violence; Medical Needs; Women and Girls at Risk; Family Reunification; Children and Adolescents at Risk and Lack of Foreseeable Alternative Durable Solutions.Many of the refugees referred for resettlement will meet more than one of the submission categories. We do not publish details of the reasons refugees are referred, however those providing support to the refugees on arrival in the UK receive information prior to their arrival in the UK to ensure that support can be tailored to their needs.

Refugees: Syria

lord scriven: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people to date have been settled in the UK as part of the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme who have been identified as meeting the criteria due to their sexual orientation or gender identity.

baroness williams of trafford: The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) identifies refugees for resettlement using its established criteria. The resettlement submissions categories used by the UNHCR are Legal and or Physical Protection Needs; Survivors of Torture and/or Violence; Medical Needs; Women and Girls at Risk; Family Reunification; Children and Adolescents at Risk and Lack of Foreseeable Alternative Durable Solutions.Individuals are not required to disclose their sexuality or gender identity during the resettlement process, however, those whose protection need arises for those reasons are likely to be referred under the submission category of ‘Legal and/or Physical Protection Needs’.We do not publish details of the reasons refugees are referred, however those providing support to the refugees on arrival in the UK receive information prior to their arrival in the UK, so that support can be tailored to their needs.

Refugees

lord scriven: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to introduce a national integration strategy for refugees.

baroness williams of trafford: The Government published the Integrated Communities Strategy Green Paper on 14th March. This includes proposals on the future of refugee integration.It sets out the Government’s intention to work with civil society to increase the integration support available to refugees; and to build on understanding of what works to further develop the support for refugees on employment, mental health, English language and cultural orientation. Consultation on the Green Paper closes on 5th June and development of these proposals will take the responses into account.

Refugees: Syria

lord scriven: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the average wait in weeks from acceptance on the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme to resettlement.

baroness williams of trafford: The timescale for resettlement from the point of acceptance on to the scheme to the point of arrival can be impacted by numerous factors including the family’s readiness to leave the region; the availability of suitable accommodation and support in the UK and fitness to travel.Once a family is accepted by a local authority or community sponsor, arrangements are made for their arrival in the UK as soon as practicable.The recent report by the Independent Chief Inspector for Borders and Immigration highlighted an average time of 35 weeks. As the report acknowledges, the VPRS generally takes significantly less time to resettle people than other states’ schemes.

Refugees: Syria

lord scriven: To ask Her Majesty's Government what datathey have collected on the effects of the tapering of funding to local authorities in yearstwo to five of the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme; and whatconclusions have been drawn from such data.

baroness williams of trafford: Funding provision for the VPRS was based on evidence from local authorities who have significant experience of resettling refugees as well as authorities advanced in their thinking on taking placements. They provided estimates for the costs of the scheme in years 2-5.The information provided showed the level of support required by vulnerable refugees decreases over time as they settle into life in the UK, their health improves and they become integrated into society and move into work. We continue to monitor integration outcomes through our ongoing evaluation work.

Refugees: Syria

lord scriven: To ask Her Majesty's Government what percentage of working age refugees resettled via the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme are in paid employment.

baroness williams of trafford: The Home Office does not centrally collect the information required to calculate the percentage of working age refugees resettled via the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme who are in paid employment for any point in time. As part of the evaluation of the VPRS, we are capturing data which will include employment rates in the first year after arrival, and we are working with DWP and HMRC to arrange access to their datasets so that we can continue to collect data over a longer term.We recognise the difficulties resettled people can face when looking for work. We have funded a pilot project to provide additional employment support and are now evaluating what it has delivered. We continue to work closely with colleagues in DWP to ensure that all those whom we resettle are aware of, and receive, the support they are entitled to, and we will be sharing the learning from the pilot with DWP.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Gambling: Taxation

lord chadlington: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to make the 0.1 per cent levy on the gambling industry mandatory rather than voluntary.

lord ashton of hyde: The Gambling Commission requires all operators licensed under the Gambling Act 2005 to make a contribution towards the research, prevention and treatment of gambling-related harm. It does not specify how much this should be, nor which organisations should be supported. We considered research, education and treatment as part of our Review of Gaming Machines and Social Responsibility. The response was published on 17 May. The Review looked at protections across the gambling industry and support for those who experience harm, including the arrangements for funding support. GambleAware is the leading charity commissioning research, education and treatment, and currently asks operators to donate 0.1% of their Gross Gambling Yield (GGY). Most do, with GambleAware receiving £9.4m in 2017/18, up 16% from the previous year. Industry also made donations to other bodies supporting research, education and treatment, bringing industry’s collective support for RET to above 0.1% of its GGY. We want to see an effective and sustainable voluntary system, with improved coordination and better understanding of what measures are most effective to ensure future funding increases will be spent in the most effective way. Our response outlined a number of initiatives that continue to improve the current system, increasing access to services and strengthening the evidence base.Each year, the Minister for Public Health writes to PHE setting out the organisation’s strategic remit and priorities for the next year. For 2018/19, PHE is explicitly committed for the first time to action on gambling-related harm. As a first step, Government has asked PHE to carry out a review of the evidence relating to the public health harms of gambling. The Government does not consider that introducing a statutory levy is necessary or appropriate at this stage.

ZTE Corporation

lord west of spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of any risks associated with using equipment supplied by the ZTE Corporation in the UK's telecoms network.

lord ashton of hyde: The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has written to a number of telecommunications organisations regarding the potential use of ZTE equipment and services in the UK telecommunications infrastructure environment. The NCSC’s technical assessment is that the national security risks arising from the use of ZTE equipment or services in UK telecommunications infrastructure where there are national security concerns cannot be mitigated.